Google’s AI Overviews now appear less than 15% of the time, a significant drop from their previous appearance in 84% of queries. This decline began in mid-April and continued into May, coinciding with the launch of AI Overviews in the U.S. The launch was marred by numerous incorrect and dangerous AI-generated answers.
Data and Analysis
The data, shared by BrightEdge, reveals that AI Overviews are 195% more likely to appear with featured snippets and question-based queries but are less likely with sitelinks and local queries.
Industry-Specific Appearance
- Healthcare: AI Overviews appear 63% of the time, down from 76% in January.
- Restaurants: Less than 1%, down from 36% in January.
- Travel: Less than 1%, down from 30% in January.
Predicting and Answering Follow-Up Questions
Google has reduced the overlap between AI citations and classic search results. For intent-based queries like “what,” “where,” and “how,” Google is now more often:
- Conducting subsequent searches for users.
- Anticipating follow-up questions.
Despite the reduction, AI in search is expected to improve exponentially. Jim Yu of BrightEdge notes that while AI currently has inaccuracies, it is fine-tuning search quality, traffic flow, and monetization, and will get better over time.
